By Hayley Egan

Ungarie locals are coming together to get fit!
Caitlin Johnson is a recent Active Farmers Scholarship student, and has created an amazing group of Ungarie locals that are coming together to workout and support each other.
Caitlin recently graduated from the EMPOWERED Scholarship Program. This program was made to help people in rural communities gain their fitness qualifications so that they can bring more opportunities for movement, health and connection back to their own towns, which Caitlin is now bringing to Ungarie!
“It’s about more than lifting weights, getting fitter or ticking off a workout. It’s about creating a place where people can come together, have a laugh, challenge themselves and look after their physical and mental wellbeing — all alongside people who understand rural life.” read a post on the Active Farmers Facebook page.
The EMPOWERED Scholarship Program is an initiative developed by Active Farmers in partnership with Hutcheon & Pearce and FIT College.
The program takes on six motivated individuals each year from rural and regional communities across Australia to gain the qualifications to bring health and fitness back into their communities.
The Scholarship covers full tuition fees for Certificate III and Certificate IV in Personal Training through FIT College, with no extra costs for the recipient. Once completed, the applicants must work locally with Active Farmers to lead group exercise classes in their community for a minimum of two years.
Founded by Ginny Stevens, Active Farmers is a dedicated organisation that aims to improve well-being of locals from small rural and regional communities.
“Active Farmers was established to address the alarming mental health statistics in regional Australia. Ginny’s goal was to bring communities together through regular group fitness classes in a fun and interactive environment. These classes mimic the ‘team sport effect,’ fostering a sense of community and belonging.” a comment on the Active Farmers website reads.
Fat Farmers: Rural Health Initiative is another group working to bring fitness to rural and regional towns. It was founded by Ben Wundersitz, Greg Hean and Scott Hoyle in 2012 in South Australia, and eventually integrated with Active Farmers in November 2025.
Together, they have doubled their group numbers from 40 to 80 and are now nationwide with fitness groups throughout South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.
Image Credits: Active Farmers Facebook page.